A relationship can nourish us, but it cannot become the substitute for personal identity. Love is our emotional response what we perceive as irreplaceable. Love contributes to well being and the growth of both parties. Love transcends mere calculations of quid pro quo, as no one is born simply to satisfy our desires. One of the characteristics of mature love is the knowledge that we can love our partner deeply and that, nonetheless, we may know moments of anger, boredom, and distance. In mature love, we conserve the ability to see the entire canvas and not just the last stroke (Carmody, 1988; Timmreck, 1990).